Flood-fence.



No. 638,035. Patented Nov. 28, I899. C. N. WALDBAN & J. W. -WILLEY.

FLOOD FENCE.

(Applica tion filed may 18, 1899.) (No Model.)

\l WITNESSES:

lNVENTORfi iJNiTED STATES PATENT DFFICE.

CHARLES N. XVALDRAN AND JGHN W. lVILLEY, OF QUITO, TENNESSEE.

FLOOD-FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 638,035, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed May 18, 1899. Serial No. 717,295. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES N. VAL- DRAN and JOHN W. WILLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Quito, in the county of Tipton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in High-Water Wire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to fen ces,and particularly to fences for use in localities subject to inundation from the overflow or backwater of rivers or other streams or from high tides, the object of the invention being to provide an improved fence which in ordinary times will stand upon the ground, but which in times of high water may be readily raised above the water, provision being made for.

securely holding and supporting the fence in either position.

With this object in view our invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of the parts of a fence, as fully described hereinafter and afterward specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a fence constructed in accordance with our invention in its lowered position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same in its raised position. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View on the plane indicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in the various figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 5, 6, and 7 represent fence-posts, those marked 5 and 6 being at the ends of a short panel of the fence and those marked 6 and 7 at the ends of a section of fence of considerable length, according to circumstances, say from thirty to one hundred feet long. These posts may be of any approved pattern or material, it being desirable that each shall have a straight side and preferably a straight face also. To the straight face of each post is pivotally secured an arm or support, as at 8, 9, and 10, by means of a screw or bolt, as at 11, whereby said arms may be lowered into position alongside of the posts, as in Figs. 1 and 3, or raised to project above the posts, as in Fig. 2 and 4. It will be observed that the pivotal bolt 11 passes through the arms 8, 9, and at a short distance from one end, said end 12 projecting above the pivotal bolt 11 when the arms are lowered and below the bolt when the arms are raised. This projecting end is provided with a hole 13 and the posts with holes (shown by dotted lines, Fig. 2) registering therewith when the arms are raised. The opposite ends 14 of the arms are also provided with holes, as at 15, and the posts with holes 16,registering therewith when the arms are lowered. A bolt or screw 17 is secured in the holes 13 when the arms are raised and in holes when the arms are lowered, whereby the arms are seen red against movement on their pivotal bolts 11 when either raised or lowered.

The wires 18 of the fence, when stretched, are secured on the arms 8, 9, and 10 in any desired manner, and when there is danger of high water the arms are turned up from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to that shown ip Figs. 2 and 4 and secured by bolt 17, as before described. In long sections of fence the wires will be secured upon stays 19, either wood or wire, and will be held against sagging or drooping in the middle by means of wire braces 20, secured to the arms 9 and 10 at the ends of the section,at their upper ends, and to the middle stay, near its lower end, and inasmuch as the fence is reversed in the opera tion of raising and lowering, these wire braces must be removably attached. This is done by providing suitable attaching means, in this instance shown as headed pins 21 22, at the ends of the central stay, and 23, 24, 25, and 26 at the opposite ends of the arms 9 and 10. When the arms are lowered, the wire brace is secured on pins 23, 22, and 25 at the upper ends of arms 9 and 10 and lower ends of the central stay, and when about to raise the arms the wire brace, which has loops at each end and the middle, is removed from the pins 23, 22, and 25 and placed on pins 24, 21, and 26, and when the raising is completed, as in Fig. 2, the pins 24 and 26 will be at upper ends of arms 9 and 10 and the pin 21 at the lower end of the central stay, and the fence will be braced in its new position.

stub-posts or bases 30, planted in the ground and removably secured to the inside of the fence, the pivotal post having beveled lower end 31 to engage, when erect, corresponding bevel 32 on the base, whereby the pivotal post cannot be turned down inward, thus preventing cattle from pressing the fence inward, and this post can be supported rigidly, when desired, by means of a button 33 on the base adapted to engage the pivotal post, as shown in Fig. 3. When the fence is raised, these posts are lowered on their pivots,so that any drift matter will pass over them.

34 indicates a brace secured at one end to the pivotal bolt 11 of arm 8 and at the other end to the outer or free end of arm 9, serving to prevent the breaking or yielding of arm 9 under the strain of the fence-wires 18 or brace 20 during the adjustment of the arms and when they are raised.

From the foregoing the construction and operation of our invention will be readily understood. vVhen lowered, the fence will be virtually an ordinary fence, resting on the ground or close thereto. One man can raise it, so that the wires will be out of the water, by turning one arm, propping it up, then raising the next arm and propping it, and so on, the arms being held by the props until secured by bolts 17, and in a short time a very large quantity of fencing can thus be raised.

There being a great saving in posts, the fence can be cheaply built. Being removed The fence is so simple that it will not readily get out of repair, and when it does it may easily be repaired. It is a handsome fence and will last longer than any ordinary fence in the same position.

Many changes may be made in the minor details of construction without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a fence,the combination with'the posts having a straight side face, of arms pivoted thereto at a short distance from one end of the arms and near the tops of the posts, and fence-wires secured on said arms, the arms being provided with bolt-holes at each end, and the posts with holes registering with boltholes in the short ends of the arms when the arms are raised and with the bolt-holes in the long ends of the arms when they are lowered, substantially as described.

2. In a fence, the combination with a post provided with two bolt-holes near its upper end and one near its lower end, of arms supporting the fence-wires provided with two boltholes near one end and one near the other, a pivotal bolt secured in the upper hole of the post and the middle hole of the arm, and a securing-bolt adapted to engage in one end hole of the arm and the middle hole of the post, or in the other end hole of the arm and the lower hole of the post, to secure the arm in either raised or lowered position, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a fence provided with two panels having posts 5, 6 and 7, of arms 8, 9 and 10 pivoted to said posts, fencewires supported by said arms, and a brace connecting the outer end of arm 9 to the pivotal bolt of arm 8, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES N. WALDRAN. JOHN W. WILLEY.

Witnesses:

J. B. SMITH, JOHN EMBRY. 

